Boonen and Gaviria focused on San Juan sprints

Boonen and Gaviria focused on San Juan sprints

The two Quick-Step Floors Cycling Team riders talked of their expectations ahead of the South American race.

The beautiful and always enchanting Argentina will see several Quick-Step Floors riders kick off their season at the Vuelta a San Juan, which is set to take place over seven stages, between 23-29 January. One of these will be Tom Boonen, who'll embark on his final season next week, in a line up that also includes neo-pro Rémi Cavagna, Tim Declercq, Fernando Gaviria, Maximiliano Richeze and Pieter Serry.

Despite riding only from January to April, when he'll bring down the curtain at his beloved Paris-Roubaix, the 36-year-old is confident there are many white pages waiting to be written in the final chapter of his incredible career, one throughout which he's won the World Championships, seven Monuments, eight Grand Tour stages and the Tour de France points jersey.

"I like the region and the great landscapes of this country. We came here on Monday and got used to the heat, and now all that remains to be seen is how the race will unfold. Fernando's our sprinter in San Juan, but I think there will be a couple of chances for me too. I know everybody's talking about this being the first race of my last season, but I feel the same I've felt in all the past seasons and I want to enjoy every moment", said Tom at the press conference on Saturday.

Two years ago, in Argentina, Fernando Gaviria began making a name for himself, after taking two commanding victories in bunch finishes. He nabbed another win in 2016, while also enjoying a stint in the leader's jersey, and will now look to return to winning ways in the country which always brings back the good memories: "It's not a secret that I like to ride in Argentina. This is the country that launched me in pro cycling and gave me the chance to join Quick-Step Floors. I trained for this race at home and I hope to get some nice results here. The team's goal is to win a stage and we'll try our best to score a victory."